Apparatus for duplicating sound-records.



J. W. AYLSWORTH. APPARATUS FOR DUPLIGATING SOUND RECORDS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.11, 1907.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

.fizvaiziarx 0 n. M 7 172M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONAS W. ATLSWORTH, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THOMAS A. EDISON INCORPORATED, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PIARATUS FOR DUPLICATING SOUND-RECORDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

Original application filed December 6, 1905, Serial No. 290,540. Divided and this application filed September 11, 1907. Serial No. 892,250.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JONAS W. AYLs- WORTH, a citizen of the United States, residingv at 223 Midland avenue, East Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Duplicating Sound-Records, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of an application filed December 6th, 1905, Serial No. 290,540, on which Patent No. 871,554 was granted November 19, 1907.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for duplicating sound records from matrices or molds by the expansion of a blank, and is adapted particularly for the making of records from relatively hard material, such as hard rubber, celluloid and similar composition, although Elie invention may be used for making records from waxlike compositions, such as those now employed in the art of making duplicate phonograph records by a molding operation.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efi'ective apparatus for the purpose.

In order that the invention may be better understood, attention is directed to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification and in whichI illustrate a sectional view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention.

The matrix or mold 1 is of the common type now used in the art, being provided on its interior with a negative lmpression of the record to be duplicated and being of any desired thiclmess. Provision is made for alternately heating and cooling the matrix or mold, preferably by surrounding the same with a coil 2, embedded in a 'a'cket of lead, or other fusible metal. team (saturated or super-heated) for heating the coil, or water for cooling the same, is admitted through the pipes 4 and 5 respectively, said ipes havin suitable controlling valves t erein, as s own. The valved outlet 6, permits any water or condensed steam to be drawn off from the coil at the bottom thereof. -The matrix or mold is seated on a suitable base 7, and may, if desired, be permanently connected to the same, and said base is carried'by a frame 8 having an upper member or arm 9. Engaging the top of the mold is a cap 10 adapted to be firmly clamped in place in any suitable way, as for example, by a cam 11, carried by the arm 9. The cap 10, is provided with position shown, connects the vacuum pipe 17 with the pipes 13 and 15, so as to exhaust the air from the mold and from the interior of the expander 12. When the vacuum valve is moved 90 degrees clockwise, it com nects the vacuum pipe 17 with the pipe 15 only, and when moved to a further extent of 90 degrees, it cuts oif' the vacuum pipe 17 entirely, as will be understood. The vacuum p1pe 17 is connected-to any suitable source of vacuum, preferably an ordinary exhaustin pump; To provide regularity and rapi ity of operation, a reservoir is preferably interposed between the exhausting pump and the duplicating apparatus, so as to permit the necessary exhaustion to be quickly obtained, and also to permit a number of duplicating machines to be connected with the same reservoir, as will be understood. A valved pipe 18 connects with the pipe 13 above the vacuum valve and may be open directly to the air or may be connected with a source of compressed air, as may be necessary when the materials to be duplicated are but slightly expansible. Another valve 19 below the vacuum valve permits atmospheric air to enter the pipe 15.

The blank 20 may be made of any suit able material capable of bein softened or rendered plastic or semi-flui by heating (such as hard rubber, celluloid, shellac composition, or theordinary wax-likematerials of which duplicate phonograph records are now made) and of any desired thickness.

By means of my invention, records can be efiectively duplicated on extremely thin blanks, which can be subsequently mounted on any suitable and permanent support, as for instance, by making the blank slightly tapered, so as to engage the support frictionally. Or, instead, the blank may be a composite structure formed of a suitable stance, capable of being softened by heat) I on its outer surface.

Preferably the bottom of the mold is constructed so as to swing downwardly to permit the blank to be introduced, and the finished record to be withdrawn, suitable means being provided to rigidly lock the bottom in its closed position during the duplicating operation. In the construction shown, the bottom 191 of the mold is hinged to the support 7 at 192, the pipe 15 communicating with the passage 193 therein by an ordinary swivel connection, as will be understood, so that the bottom may be swung down without interfering with the connection between the pipe 15 and the, passage 193. The bottom 191 is supported when the mold is closed by the locking cam 194:, which is rotatably mounted on the swinging yoke 195 which is pivoted at its upper ends as shown at 196 and may be swung out of the way to permit the bottom 191 to be swung .downward upon its hinge. The blank 20 is made very slightly smaller than the bore of the matrix or mold so as to be readily introduced therein surrounding the expander, as shown. The matrix or mold is now heated (or it may be heated before the blank is introduced) byadmitting the steam to the coil 2 or in any other suitable way. This results in heating the blank so as to soften its outer face and permit it to readily take an impression. During the heating of the blank, the vacuum valve 16 is operated to exhaust air from the interior of the expander 12, and also, from the interior of the mold, so as to equalize the pressure on the expansible walls of the expander. By thus applying a vacuum to the interior of the matrix or mold, I effectively exhaust any air, or gas, or moisture from between the blank and the record surface of the matrix, so that when the blank is expanded it will take a perfectly clear and sharp impression from the record surface. Furthermore, this exhaustion of the air film between the blank and matrix is effected without the necessity of sealing the ends of the blanks in any way and the result is obtained whether the blank is relatively thick or is very thin. The vacuum valve 16 is now moved clock-wise 90 degrees, so as to still maintain the exhaust connection to the pipe 15, and the valve of the pipe 18 is open to permit atmospheric air or compressed air to enter the expander 12, thereby expanding the flexible walls of the latter and forcing the blank intimately into engagement with the record surface. When the blanks are formed of material that is expanded with difiiculty, or that softens only slightly, 1 preferably use compressed air in the expander, or'superheated steam in the coil 2, or both, for effecting this operation, but with thin blanks of celluloid, or similar mat rial, atmospheric pressure will be sufiicien After the blank has been thus expanded into engagement with the matrix and is held closely in such engagement by-the inflation of the expander 12, I turn off the steam in the coil 2 and admit cold water to the same, so as to rapidly chill the matrix and also the surface of the record in contact therewith. This chilling takes place while the record is tightly compressed against the bore of the matrix, so that the material is set and becomes fixed while in such engagement. This results in a sharper and more permanent impression on the resulting duplicate than would be secured if the setting of the material was brought about after detachment of the record from the mold. Preferably, before the record has been cooled entirely throughout, but after its surface has been set and hardened as 'explained, the vacuum valve 16 is moved to shut off the vacuum pipe 17, and the valve 19 is opened to equalize the pressure on the walls of the expander 12, the ela'sticit whose walls withdraws the expander cm the record to its normal size. The mold with the record therein is now allowed to cool (or an artificial cooling operation may be performed) whereby the record will contract diametrically so as to free itself from the matrix and be allowed to be removed by swinging the mold bottom downwardly. This separation of the finished duplicate from the matrix will be facilitated if the bore of the matrix is formed with a very sli ht taper, as is common in the art.

lthough I have referred in the'preceding description to the use of a vacuum, it will be understood that I use the expression in its typical sense and mean any such condition of rarefaction as can be commer cially secured by a well designed exhausting or vacuum pump.

Having now described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. Apparatus for duplicating phonograph records comprising in combination a matrix or mold, means for closing the ends thereof, a flexible expander therein, and means whereby air may be exhausted from the in terior of the matrix or mold, substantially as set forth.

2. Apparatus for duplicating phonograph records comprising in combination a matrix or mold, a hollow inflatable expander therein, and means whereby air may be exhausted from the interior of the expander and from the interior of the mold, substantially as set forth.

3. Apparatus for duplicating phonograph records, comprising a matrix or mold, a flexible expander therein, means whereby the air may be exhausted from the expander and matrix, and means for admitting pressure to the expander while maintaining the exhausted condition within the matrix, substantially as set forth.

4. Apparatus for duplicating phonograph records, comprising a matrix or mold, means for closing the ends thereof, means for heating and cooling the same, a flexible expander within the matrix or mold, and means whereby the air may be exhausted from the matrix or mold, substantially as set forth.

5. Apparatus for duplicating phonograph records, comprising a matrix or mold, a

heating and cooling pipe surrounding thesame and embedded in a fusible metal jacket, and a flexible expander within the matrix or mold, substantially as set forth.

6. In-an apparatus for duplicating phonograph records, a hollow cylindrical matrix,

means for closing the ends thereof, a flexible expander therein, and means surrounding the mold for heating or cooling the same, substantially as set forth.

7. In an apparatus for duplicating phonograph records, a hollow cylindrical matrix or mold, an expander centrally supported therewithin and so mounted as to permit the free insertion of a blank between the matrix and the expander and the free removal of a completed record therefrom without removing any of the apparatus, substantially as set forth.

8. In an apparatus for duplicating phonograph records, the combination of a hollow matrix or mold, a closure for one end thereof, an expander in said mold and supported. by said closure, a swinging closure for the opposite end of the mold, and means for locking said last named closure in place to close the mold, substantially as set forth.

9. In an apparatus for duplicating phonograph records, the combination of a hollow matrix or mold, a hollow flexible expander therein, a conduit which may be' made to.

communicate with both the interior of the,

expander and with the space between the expander and the interior'of the matrix, and means whereb the air may be exhausted from said con wt and the spaces commun'icating therewith, substantially as set forth.

10. In anapparatus for du licating phonograph records, a hollow cy indrical matrix or mold, closures for the ends of the mold, one of said closures being removable, a hollow inflatable expander within said mold, and means communicating through one of said closures whereby the expander may be inflated or exhausted, and means communicating through the other closure whereby the air may be exhausted from between the expander and the mold, substantially as set forth.

11. In an apparatus for duplicating phonograph records, the combination of a hollow matrix or'mold, a hollow flexible expander therein, hollow connecting means communicating with the interior of said expander, a second hollow connecting means communicatingwith the space between the expander and the interior of the matrix or mold, an exhaust pipe, and a threeway valve between the first named connecting means, the second named connect-ing means and the exhaust pipe, substantially as set forth.

12. In an apparatus phonograph records, the combination of a hollow matrix or mold, a hollow flexible expander therein, 'a hollow connecting means communicating with the interior of said expander, a second hollow connectingmeans communicating with the space between the expander and the interior of the matrix or mold, an exhaust pipe, a three-way valve between the first connecting means, the second connecting means, and the exhaust pipe, and means whereby compressed air or air under atmospheric pressure may be admitted to the first named connecting means, substane tially as set forth.

13. In an apparatus for duplicating phonograph records, the combination of a hollow matrix or mold, a hollow flexible exv pander therein, a hollow connecting means communicating with the interior of said expander, a second'hollow connecting meanscommunicating with the space between the expander and the interior of the matrix or mold, an exhaust pipe, a three-way valve between the first connecting means, the second connecting means and the exhaust pipe, andmeans for opening said second named connecting means to permit the'ingress of air under atmospheric pressure, substantially as set forth.

14. In an apparatus for duplicating phonograph records, the combination of a hollow matrix or mold, a base whereon the same is supported, an arm connected with said base overhanging the matrix or mold, a closure for the top of the mold, means interposed between said closure and arm for securing the closure in place, a closure for theopposite end of the mold,. and an expander within said mold, substantially as set forth.

15. In a device for duplicating phonograph records, the combination of abutments spaced apart, a hollow mold, a closure for one end of the mold, and expandible for duplicating means for holding the closure in place, all interposed between said abutments, an ex,- pander within said mold and a removable closure for the remaining end of the mold, substantially as set forth.

16. In a device for duplicating phonograph records, the combination of an apertured base, a hollow matrix or mold oflesser interior diameter and greater exterior diameter than said aperture in the base, and a closure passing through the aperture in the base for closing said mold, substantially as set forth.

1?. In a device for duplicating phonograph records, the combination of an apertured base, an open-ended mold having its bore of a diameter less than that of the aperture in the base seated upon said base, a portion of its bottom being exposed through said aperture, means for holding said mold down upon said base, and a closure for the lower end of the mold and movable up and down through the aperture in the base, substantially as set forth.

18. in an apparatus for duplicating insane hollow matrix, an expander therein, and

means for closing both the ends of the ma trix, substantially as set forth.

20. In an apparatus for duplicating phonograph records, the combination of a hollow matrix or mold, a closure for one end thereof, an expander in said matrix and sustained by said closure, and a removable closure for the opposite end of the matrix or mold, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 9th day'of Se t. 1907.

JUN S W. AYLSWQRTH. Witnesses:

FRANK L. Drnn, l nann l). LEWIS. 

